And.... we have a 2 year old!!

Well, as usual, I'm late. So sue me :)

But as of August 4th, Mr. Bridger Dean is now officially two years old! (Ah, hello there Terrible Two's. How I've missed you...)

Since Aunt Megan and her family were in town visiting, we had a joint birthday party to celebrate at Mimi's house one night, for both Bridger and Meg's little boy Felix - also an August birthday. It was a fun night, complete with lots of presents, cake, candy, and even a pinata! (So, an awesome party, indeed :))

But I still like to do at least something small on their actual true birthdays, just to celebrate the day and remember how special it is. So this year, since the 4th was a Saturday, we started the day off with some sticky rolls, candles, and a round of "Happy Birthday"! And then later for dinner we had a picnic. The boys got Happy Meals (definitely a treat for them both), and we took them to a picnic area in the Kidron park. After dinner, they all played on the playground for a while, and then we had a little cake and one more "Happy Birthday" encore. And then Bridger Dean got to open one small present: a bag of Army Guys. (We're big Toy Story fans in this house, and Bridger just loves the Army Guys in those movies. So now he has his own :))

So, yes. It was simple. But special. For my Birthday Boy.♥



At least, I think everyone had fun...

 A sticky sweet breakfast and a "Happy Birthday" song. Pretty good start to a special day, I think :)

 The Birthday Boy♥

 Happy Meals

 And now Play Time! ... My 2 year old.

 Graham's current favorite interests include: Climbing, Spending much of his day in situations that I like to call: "The Danger Zone", Being Sticky, Screaming.

Basically, he LOVED the playground.

 Crazy Kids.

 He started walking away and when I called him he said, "Shade." ♥

 Teeter Totter

 Just a couple of my favorites :)

 Holden going down the BIG slide

He walked back and forth and back and forth just yelling and marching.

Over and over and over.... 

Silly kid.

 Opening his little present - Army Guys!

 Waiting for Daddy to open them up

 First thing he did?  Share♥

 Aaaar!

 I think boys are just born with built in sound effects skills...

 They were a hit.

 

 "Boys are found everywhere - on top of, underneath, inside of, climbing on, swinging from, running around or jumping to. 

Mothers love them, little girls hate them, older sisters and brothers tolerate them, adults ignore them and Heaven protects them. 

A boy is Truth with dirt on its face, Beauty with a cut on its finger, Wisdom with bubble gum in its hair and the Hope of the future with a frog in its pocket."
 

- Alan Marshall Beck

Our crazy, sweet, sticky, dirty, wonderful Birthday Boy.

♥ 

Summer = Baby Season around these parts :)

I'm an aunt again!!

My baby brother is now a dad. And it's completely crazy. And completely awesome.

Beautiful Bryce Anthony was born (on his due date!) late in the morning on July 29th.

With his Mommy's nose and mouth, and his Daddy's eyes and ears, he is perfect and healthy. And so far seems to be just one of the sweetest babies ever.



 And I got to go meet him in the hospital on his birthday... :)




Baby Bryce ♥  7 1/2 pounds and 20 inches

I'd say that's one pretty proud, pretty tired brand new Daddy

Word on the street is... this lil' Momma is awesome :)

The Labor Team

They sure made one perfect little boy.

♥

  

Yay for itty bitty, brand new babies :)

Me, Bryce, and Tyler

And Bryce makes six. Six incredible grandbabies for this Mimi.

Her baby has his own baby now.

Welcome to the world, Teeny Weeny. We already love you more than we can explain. ♥

    Fixing his hat after showing us his hair.

 Give me a Thumb's Up, Emily Anne. Because you.. rock.♥

I think, being a parent is likely one of the hardest, most demanding, thankless, exhausting,

incredible and amazing experiences in the whole world.

And I also think Bryce is one lucky kid to already be completely surrounded by so much love and support from all the families.

It's gonna be hard, but it will definitely be worth it. 

Go get 'em, guys.♥

Only one more month left...

Graham Arnold  is eleven months old today.

Eleven.

You guys! Come ON! ELEVEN.

I get one more stinkin' month of baby-ness and then poof. Done. Over. Welcome, Toddlerhood.



He is so close to being a big kid and being able to keep up with The Brothers that he can almost taste it.





... and I don't even know where the time went.

My baby. This morning:

Red, White, and Blue

The Fourth of July this year snuck up out of no where. I don't know if it was vacation or what... but it just seemed like it was so far away... and then wham!

And, for this household of small boys, it was kind of uneventful. We were really back and forth on the whole fireworks thing - because I KNOW Holden and Bridger would have loved to watch them - but in the end, we skipped them. It just seemed like too much of an ordeal with everyone still being so young and bedtime and the ones we wanted to attend were on Saturday so we would have had church the next morning...

So going to the fireworks didn't happen. But on the actual 4th, we did all go SWIMMING! And that was really nice. It was absolutely beautiful and hot out, and we all went over to my grandpa's pool. Mimi and Pap Pap met us there and helped all the boys play in the pool, too. And extra helping hands always makes everything more enjoyable for this Momma :)

So yea. It came and went pretty quickly this year. But that's ok. I'm sure I have many many years to look forward to of parades and carnivals and crowds and parties.



In the end, at least for this year, I think Jared and I were more than happy to just tuck the boys in, sit outside, and quietly watch the tops of some fireworks in the distance. ♥

 Pool Time!

 And this big stinker.. thinks he's pretty tricky "swimming" all by himself in the life jacket...

 Daddy and the big boys

 Daddy's the funnest.

  And trying to get Graham to look at the camera....

 ...hmmm.... think Mommy has to turn around to get his sweet face :)

 

He puts these goggles on like this himself. He's such a goof.

 Pap Pap and the Goof

  Jared and Graham

 Mimi and Pap Pap and the big boys. 

(If you're paying attention, it's been: Jared & Graham, and now Bridger &Mimi, and Pap Pap & Holden... this leaves all three boys accounted for and ME off the hook for a minute. I enjoyed the raft float :))

   I love this look. Graham has the most expressive faces.

 Handsome boys           

  I love this little Goldilocks boy ♥

 Giving Pap Pap the ol' squirt.

 

 The back is probably better... than the face.

  And now riding with Mimi!

 Hi, Holden! 

 Graham liked riding, too :)

The patriarch of my little clan... soakin' up some sunshine....

 Relaxin'... swimming can be hard work.

And then after dinner. My little Fourth of July boys. Enjoying their red and blue popsicles.

 

And a chilly little taste for Graham. 

The three Firecrackers in my life ♥

Hide and Seek

 Holden loves to play Hide-and-Seek. He doesn't really understand it yet - he hides, then yells for me to count, and usually comes out when I get to like 8 or so... but still, he loves his version. (And I don't have to actually look for him... so it works out pretty well for me, too!)

But tonight, he wanted to play.

And the brothers were the "seekers."




He's not a sneaky "hider."

 Graham, waiting for Holden to hide

 See. Not sneaky. Haha.          

             

 "We see you....!"

 
And then this happened.
And he thought it was an awesome new (dangerous) trick. 
So he did it like 20 more times.

Stinker Pot.